Fire Brick for Wood Stoves: Sizes, When to Replace It, and What Fits Your Stove
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The fire brick inside your wood stove takes the direct heat of every fire so the steel firebox doesn't have to. Over time bricks crack, crumble and get knocked loose by logs, and replacing them is one of the cheapest, easiest jobs on a stove. This guide shows what fire brick does, the standard sizes, when a brick actually needs replacing, and exactly which bricks fit Drolet, Englander, Osburn, Century and Enerzone stoves, plus how to match the standard brick used in most other wood stoves. Every part we sell ships with No Sales Tax in any state. If you already know your size, shop all our fire brick for wood stoves.
Quick answer: Fire brick is the refractory lining of the firebox. Replace a brick when it is cracked through, crumbling or missing pieces, and order it by your stove model and the brick's size.
The common full-size brick is 4 1/2" x 9" x 1 1/4", but most SBI stoves (Drolet, Englander, Osburn, Century, Enerzone) also use factory-cut sizes like 2" x 9" or 4" x 4 1/2".
Any other brand of stove: most wood stoves use the same standard 4 1/2" x 9" x 1 1/4" brick. Measure yours. If it matches, our 29010 single brick ($19.99) or 9-pack AC07700B ($35.99) fits.
Hairline cracks are normal. A crack you can fit a coin into, loose pieces, or bare steel showing means replace it.
Bricks lift out by hand once the stove is cold, so most owners do this themselves in under an hour.
Find your stove in the chart by stove model below, or measure the old brick and match the size.
No Sales Tax in any state, free shipping on orders over $300, and real people at 1-888-866-8206 if you're not sure which brick you need.
What fire brick does
Fire brick (also called refractory brick or firebrick) is made to handle far more heat than ordinary brick. In a wood stove it lines the floor and walls of the firebox. It does three jobs:
Protects the steel. Direct flame on bare steel plate warps and burns it over time. The brick takes that heat instead.
Keeps the firebox hot. A hot firebox burns the wood more completely, so you get more heat and less smoke and creosote.
Takes the knocks. Logs get dropped and pushed against the walls every day. A brick is a cheap part to break; a firebox wall is not.
Fire brick is a wear part, like the door gasket or the baffle. Bricks are meant to be replaced one at a time as they break, without touching the rest of the stove.
Fire brick, refractory panels and cerra board
Not every firebox is lined with loose bricks. What you have depends on the appliance:
Lining
Where you find it
Examples we carry
Refractory fire brick
Most steel wood stoves and inserts: Drolet, Englander, Osburn, Century, Enerzone
Use the same type your stove was built with. Two parts can share a size and still not be interchangeable, so order by part number where the manual gives one. The board across the top of the firebox is the baffle, not fire brick; see our baffle board replacement guide for those.
Standard fire brick sizes
Fire brick is described as width x length x thickness. The full-size brick in most stoves is 4 1/2" x 9" x 1 1/4". SBI stoves then use factory-cut bricks to fill the edges and corners, which is why one stove can call for four or five different sizes.
This full-size brick fits stoves of any brand. Most wood stoves, whoever made them, use the standard 4 1/2" x 9" x 1 1/4" brick. Measure the width, length and thickness of a whole brick from your stove. If it matches, the 29010 single brick ($19.99) or the 9-pack AC07700B ($35.99) fits, both in stock with No Sales Tax in any state. If yours is a different size or has cut edges, match it to the other sizes below or email info@stovesource.com or text 1-888-866-8206.
If you're replacing several full-size bricks, the 9-pack costs less than two singles. Two bricks with the same size but different part numbers (for example PL36056 and PL36759) are listed separately by SBI for different stoves, so match the part number in the chart below when there is one. Measure the old brick with a tape before ordering, and measure a whole one if the broken one is in pieces.
When to replace fire brick
Fire brick cracks. That's normal, and most cracks don't matter. As a general rule:
Leave it: fine hairline cracks in a brick that is still in one piece and sits tight against the wall.
Replace it: a crack wider than about 1/4", a brick broken into separate pieces, crumbling or flaking faces, chunks missing, or any spot where you can see bare steel behind the brick.
Replace it: a brick that has worn noticeably thinner than its neighbours.
Your owner's manual has the final word on what your manufacturer considers worn out. The easiest time to check is with the stove cold and the ash cleaned out, using a flashlight. Do it at the end of the season, so the parts arrive well before you need the stove again.
Fire brick by stove model
These charts come from the SBI replacement-parts lists and owner's manuals, matched to each part in our catalog. Model names are the manufacturer's, including older and discontinued stoves. Use your browser's find (Ctrl+F, or Find in Page on a phone) and type your model.
Most stoves use several sizes, so most models list more than one part. Model-specific cut bricks are listed first, and the common full-size bricks last. Production runs changed over the years, so your manual's parts list tells you which ones, and how many of each, your stove takes. Match the part number in your manual, or the size of your old brick, before ordering.
Bricks for other older Drolet models (Eastwood, Austral II, Legend II, Sahara, Tundra, HT-1600 and more), plus brick retainers, are in Drolet stove parts.
On most steel stoves the bricks sit dry, with no mortar, held by the firebox walls and, on some models, a brick retainer. Follow your owner's manual for your model. The general steps:
Let the stove go completely cold. Give it at least a full day after the last fire, then shovel and vacuum out the ash (use an ash vacuum, not a shop vac).
Take out anything in the way. On many stoves that means the grate or andirons, a brick retainer, and sometimes the baffle and front air tube.
Lift out the damaged brick. Side bricks usually tip forward at the top and lift out. Floor bricks lift once the side bricks next to them are out. Note the pattern, or take a photo first.
Clean behind it. Brush or vacuum out the grit so the new brick sits flat against the steel.
Set the new brick. Slide it in the way the old one came out. It should sit flat and snug, with no rocking.
Refit what you removed and light a small fire first to warm everything up gradually.
Cutting a brick to fit
Most stoves in our charts have the odd-size pieces available already cut, which is the easier route. If you do need to trim a full brick, mark the line, score it on all sides with a masonry blade in an angle grinder or a brick chisel, and snap it on the line. Fire brick dust is fine and gritty: cut outdoors and wear safety glasses and a dust mask. Leave the cut edge facing the wall, not the fire, and keep it a hair short rather than forcing it in.
Bricks are small orders, so it's worth combining them with gaskets, a baffle or your season's supplies to reach free shipping over $300. Every order ships with No Sales Tax. Email info@stovesource.com or text 1-888-866-8206 if you can't find your stove in the charts.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use any fire brick in my wood stove?
Only if the size matches. A brick that is too thick or too long won't sit flat against the firebox wall, and a gap behind it lets heat reach the steel. Use the part your stove's manual lists, or measure the old brick and match all three dimensions.
Is a cracked fire brick dangerous?
A hairline crack in a brick that is still whole and tight in place is normal and not a problem. A brick cracked through, crumbling, or with pieces missing should be replaced, because the brick is what keeps direct flame off the steel firebox.
Do wood stove fire bricks need mortar?
In most modern steel wood stoves, no. The bricks sit dry against the firebox walls and are held by the stove's shape or a brick retainer. Check your owner's manual before you add anything.
How often should fire brick be replaced?
There's no fixed schedule. It depends on how hard the stove is run and how carefully wood is loaded. Check the bricks every time you clean out the ash or sweep the chimney, and replace the ones that are broken.
What is the standard size of a wood stove fire brick?
The common full-size brick is 4 1/2 inches by 9 inches by 1 1/4 inches thick. Many stoves also use cut sizes, such as 2 x 9 or 4 x 4 1/2, to fill out the firebox, so check your model before ordering.
